


Nothing Goes As Planned, Everything Will Break

by thebutterflycatcher



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Harry and Louis are broken up, Harry is jealous, Harry is still in love with Louis, Liam is fighting with Sophia, Liam might be in love with Zayn, Louis has no clue what he's doing, M/M, Management caused a big part of this, Niall is in denial, Please don't kill me in the comments, Sad Harry, Swearing, THIS IS FICTIONAL, THIS IS NOT WHAT I REALLY THINK HAPPENED, There all confused, They get angry and say bad words, Zayn went solo, i don't even know why i wrote this, liam is confused
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 14:30:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4568028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebutterflycatcher/pseuds/thebutterflycatcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Can you look me in the eye and honestly tell me you want this to end?" Louis asked as he stared at the boy in front of him.</p><p>"It's not the ending, Lou, it's the beginning. This band, it's toxic and it's not working, and I'm sorry I don't think I'm strong enough to watch it all burn to the ground," Zayn replied, reaching out his hand towards his best friends.</p><p>--------------<br/>Harry and Louis are broken up for sections of this story. Louis does go on PR Stunts (but Briana is not mentioned nor the baby), Liam and Sophia fight because Sophia wants a normal life with Liam and Liam is confused whether his feelings towards Zayn are more than platonic, and Niall spends a lot of time in denial about the band ever ending.<br/>____________________________<br/>Pretty much, featuring a confused Liam, Zayn leaving the band, Louis dealing with PR stunts and his break-up with Harry, depressed Harry, and Niall who might be in denial about the entire thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nothing Goes As Planned

**Author's Note:**

> I DO NOT ACTUALLY THINK THIS HAPPENED. THIS IS FICTION. FICTION. FICTION!   
> Also I don't own One Direction or any of the people involved in this story.

"Nothing goes as planned  
Everything will break  
People say goodbye  
In their own special way  
All that you rely on  
And all that you can fake  
Will leave you in the morning  
But find you in the day"

My hands are shaking as I sit at the old, oak table. The room is light, the long windows line the far window looking down on the streets of London. The sky is cloudy and gray, the sun hiding behind them like a child hiding behind its mother. 

The room is chilly, leaving goosebumps along my arms as I wrap myself into a tighter ball whether it be from protection from the cold or from the ominous stares of the other people at the table. 

Liam is sat on the couch in the corner with Niall leaning against him, Liam’s arm wrapped protectively around the smaller boy. It reminded me of when we still on the X-Factor and how quickly Liam had adopted the mature position, the caring one. 

Niall and Liam had gotten closer since Zayn’s departure, most likely because Liam missed Zayn and well, Niall was just upset at losing someone he thought of as a brother.

We’d been a mess since Zayn left. We tried to hide it, behind fake smiles and new set lists. The truth was, Liam and Sophia had started fighting shortly after Zayn left over the band taking a break which stressed out Niall at the idea of One Direction actually ending. I think he worried about the same thing I did, that maybe all these words and quotes we were telling people and fans in interviews and on twitter weren’t actually the truth. 

Maybe we just wanted to convince them that the band was going to okay, because if we managed to convince the world then maybe we would start to believe it ourselves.

I’m not sure it was working, though. I think the fans wanted to believe we were going to okay, just like all four of us wanted to believe it was all going to be fine in the end. It wasn’t even the singing or the new album that was the problem. It was the band itself. Liam was questioning what to do about Sophia which I could tell was leading to questions about what we were planning to do when this was all over.

Niall on the other hand seemed to believe that the band was never actually going to end, and completely rebuffed any ideas of said departure. He’d also taken to ignoring Zayn because he was angry. 

Louis was mess. Our relationship was a mess or at least what was left of it after we broke up. I knew that was a big part of the problem within the band. If two out of the four members can’t stand to be around each other it’s more difficult to diffuse the situation without a fifth member to put pressure on. Especially, when all eyes were on us about how we were getting along since Zayn had left us. 

When I glance back at the clock on the wall, I realize that Louis is now more than fifteen minutes later. Usually, its only ten minutes, or it used to be when I’d wake us both up early and then he’d manage to distract us for an extra twenty making us both late as a result.

Not that I minded, in fact the less time I spent sitting in the uncomfortable red chairs in management’s conference room, the better. Because frankly, the chairs were awful, and the people even worse.

The head manager, Jeremy, was sat at the very end of the large table, drumming his fingers obnoxiously on the blue notebook. A notebook which was unorganized and full of papers halfway falling out. I wondered if the reason this meeting had been called was written down in the notebook, but wasn’t tempted to ask.

A women sitting next to Jeremy was tilting her coffee around in boredom. I was waiting for her to tip it to far and spill it into her lap. Maybe she meant to do that so that she could leave early and miss having to partake in whatever boring meeting we were waiting for Louis to grace us with his presence to start. I hadn’t seen her before and I wondered why exactly she was apart of the meeting if she wasn’t one of our management team.

“Mr. Styles?” A sharp voice shook me out of my thoughts as I moved my eyes over to Jeremy who was staring at me, a deep frown on his face. I briefly wondered how long he’d been calling my name with no reaction from me. “Where is Mr. Tomlinson?” He demanded, slamming his hand down on the table which made Niall jump slightly.

“How would I know?” I asked bitterly, glaring back at him. I wasn’t lying, I honestly didn’t know where stupid Louis Tomlinson was. Probably sleeping off one of his hangovers from his dumb PR stunts that management kept sending him on.

“Are you and Mr. Tomlinson not involved in a relationship?” The women asked back, curiosity echoing in her squeaky voice. It was silent as I processed the words.

“No, they are not,” Liam spoke up, shooting me a look out of the corner of his eye. I glanced back at him, thanking him with my eyes for taking the question. It was hard to say we weren’t in a relationship after practically five years of one. It felt foreign and strange and maybe I was still in denial that it was actually over. Thankfully, Liam had drawn the squeaky-voiced lady’s attention who was now asking Liam about Sophia.

Jeremy seemed un-interested, already aware of everything that had happened. He should know, he’s part of the reason we broke up. 

The sound of the door opening drew my attention away from the conversation as I was met with Louis and his rumpled state of dress. He had gray sweatpants on with an old sweatshirt and vans, his hair tucked into a beanie. He looked adorably cuddly and I wanted nothing more then to draw him into my lap on a couch at home and watch an old rerun of Friends. 

Instead I shook myself out of my daydream to focus on the tight pinch of his lips, and the furrowing of his eyebrows.

“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Tomlinson,” the man said and Louis glared, letting the door slam behind him, but not sitting down.

“Why didn’t you tell us Zayn was going solo?” Louis spat as he stared at Jeremy. Liam’s head jerked up to look at Louis.

“Zayn’s going solo?” Niall said in shock, staring at Louis.

“Oh, yes, he is,” Louis said and his voice sounded strange, higher pitched than normal and almost crazy, his voice laced full of sarcasm and anger.

“That would be the point of the meeting,” Jeremy said finally, staring at Louis. “How did you find out anyways Louis?” 

“It’s on the news,” Liam said breaking the silence as Louis simply stood still, not moving or speaking. 

“What?” Niall demanded turning to stare at Liam. Liam held up his phone, pointing it out. Clearly he had googled it to see.

“Oh, that’s the fun part,” Louis said and his voice was sarcastic as he looked around at us all. “I just ran into Zayn in the hallway,” 

“Why is he here?” I asked, finally speaking up as I turned to Jeremy and the women. The lady opened her mouth to answer when the door opened again, revealing Zayn. The same Zayn that had left the band, and then broken up with Perrie, who had planned the entire thing apparently. Zayn who had told us he wanted a normal life only to sign a solo contract.

“Speak of the devil,” Louis snarked as he turned to glare at the boy.


	2. Time doesn't heal everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry thinks back to Louis and his first fight about Zayn leaving the band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This has only been proofread once, so there is probably errors :(
> 
> That being said my computer managed to delete the first draft of this right when I went to upload it because the power went out (which was great) so I had to re-write it, but I like it much better now.
> 
> Song: Landfill by Daughter

_"So leave me in the cold_   
_Wait until the snow covers me up_   
_So I cannot move_   
_So I'm just embedded in the frost_   
_Then leave me in the rain_   
_Wait until my clothes cling to my frame_   
_Wipe away your tear stains_   
_Thought you said you didn't feel pain"_

 

Zayn stands in the doorway, head ducked down slightly, looking up at us through his eyelashes like he might feel a hint of sadness at seeing us all together. Or maybe it’s guilt that he’s gone and signed a new contract after he lied to all of us.

The first thing I notice about him is his hair. It’s cut shorter, making him look older. I haven’t seen him in person for over a month, and it’s weird to see him after years of seeing each other everyday.

When your around people everyday there are so many things you don’t notice changing about them. Then, when you look back you realize all the changes happened, gradual, but you can chart it, the day when they cut there hair or you realized they were suddenly taller than you.

Looking at him now after a month of not seeing him is strange. I still feel like I’m looking at a stranger from across the sidewalk, but it’s felt like that for awhile now, ever since he announced he was leaving.

I spent so much time mad at him for wanting to leave. It was something Louis and I fought about on multiple occasions. Especially, the day I suggested Zayn was leaving to start a solo career, an idea Louis fully disagreed with. I can’t imagine how hard it was for him to look Zayn in the face after that big of a betrayal.

I can still remember the day Louis and I got into our first argument about him going solo like it was yesterday.

 

_**2 Months Ago** _

 

I was sitting at the grand piano in Louis’s and I’s house in Los Angeles. I had opened all the windows along the wall, allowing the California sunshine into the house casting afternoon shadows against the beige carpet. Liam had been in London at the time with Sophia and Niall was somewhere in the USA playing golf probably.

Louis and Zayn had come to Los Angeles to hang out, Louis using it as a ruse to stay with me at our house to avoid fans and management. Louis and Zayn had gone shopping earlier, I had decided to stay behind and work on a song instead.

It still felt odd around Zayn, like there was this unbreakable tension between us. Where there was once understanding smiles and relaxed conversations there was only blank stares and silence.

I think everyone in the band dealt with it in there own way. I’m not going to say it was more difficult, necessarily, for one person to accept Zayn was going his separate way, because it hurt us all. The idea that everything was going to change.

Louis liked to blame others, it was one of his flaws and more often than not he blamed me, no matter how irrational it was. That was just how he coped. I just didn’t think he’d actually blame me for Zayn leaving.

Louis came home late that night. At first, I wondered if he was drunk when he came stumbling through the door. Then upon closer inspection realized he was just exhausted and slightly upset. And I should have known not to ask him about, when I knew he’d lash out at me in response. But I did anyways.

“Where’d you go with Zayn?” I asked turning back to the piano, tapping lazily at the piano keys. A soft melody filling the silence as I waited for Louis to respond.

“To his house,” Louis said finally and my head jerked up to look at him in confusion.

“Since when does Zayn have a house in LA?” I asked surprised at the news.

“He’s had it for a couple of weeks,” Louis replied, looking down to avoid meeting my gaze.

“And he didn’t think to tell us?” I wondered turning back to the piano to avoid looking at Louis’s knowing eyes as they flickered up to gauge my reaction. I was hurt. I mean that’s fine, great even, that Zayn has finally purchased a house. It’s just he never told me, or any of the boys that I knew of.

“Do the others know?” I figured Niall must not because he would have insisted on visiting Zayn there and also he couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.

“Liam does,”

“Why didn’t he tell Niall and I?” I asked trying to disguise the hurt in my voice by scribbling some nonsense on the paper in front of me where half of a song I’d been writing sat.

I knew Zayn leaving the band was going to create walls, barriers inside the band. I just didn’t think the secrets would start so soon. I guess I was wrong.

“Because he knew you’d both react like this,” Louis snapped. I looked up at him, my eyebrows furrowed.

“Like what?” I demanded crossly.

“Like a toddler. All pouty and mad that other people know something you don’t,” Louis snapped back.

“That’s-That is not fair, Lou. I’ve put up with all of Zayn and your shit the past few months,”

“What do you _expect_ Harry? My best friend is leaving the band because he wants a normal life, because we’re always stressed out. Do you want us to skip around waving daisies? Some of us aren’t like _you_.” Louis spat.

“You seriously believe that crap about Zayn wanting a normal life?” I demanded and now I was angry as I slammed the piano lid down over the keys. The sudden movement causing the papers lining the top of the piano to flutter to the ground in a mess.

“He wouldn’t lie to me,” Louis said and his voice wavered slightly. I could see a hint of doubt in his eyes, a spark of vulnerability at the idea of his best friend lying to him. “He’s not- He isn’t. He would tell,” Louis said.

“Who are you trying to convince Lou, me or you?” I asked Louis softly.

“Fuck you, Harry,” Louis snapped turning and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I rolled my eyes at his childish behavior turning back to the piano and resting my arms on the cold lid. Hands covering my face as I took a deep breath.

That was the first of many fights about Zayn’s reasons for leaving the band before our breakup. It was like suddenly it wasn’t harryandlouis anymore. It was just Harry and Louis for the first time in years, and frankly, it sucked.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kind of scared to read the comments...please don't kill me... 
> 
> the song the lyrics and title are from is : In My Veins by Andrew Belle


End file.
